Playground swing support adapter

ABSTRACT

AN ADAPTER FOR PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT WHICH PERMITS PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT UTILIZING CANTILEVERY-TYPE HANDGRIPS TO BE SUSPENDED FROM CHAINS, LINKS, ROPES OR THE LIKE, WITHOUT MODIFICATION TO BE PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT ITSELF.

United States Patent lnventor Robert S. Wormser Hlllsdale, Mich. 752,314

1,373,259 3/1921 2,693,386 11/1954 Renfroe.

1,575,614 3/1926 Blaw.... 1,737,151 11/1929 Derbyshire 2,548,351 4/1951 Coombs Primary Examiner- Edward C. Allen Assistant Examiner--J. Franklin Foss Anorney-Beaman 8c Beaman Appl. No. [22] Filed Aug. 13, 1968 [45} Patented June 28, 1971 [73] Assignee Game-Time, lnc. Lltchfleld, Mich.

[54] PLAYGROUND SWING SUPPORT ADAPTER 5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

272/85 [51] Int. A63g9/00 ABSTRACT: An adapter for playground equipment which [50] Field 248/341, permits playground equipment utilizing cantilever-type 317; 24/2432, 243 (WC), 243 (BR), 243 (DP);

handgnps to be suspended from chains, links, ropes or the like, without modification to the playground equipment itself.

PATENTEU M2819?! INVENTOR IIIIIII ATTORNEYS PLAYGROUND SWING SUPPORT ADAPTER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention pertains'to the field of art of adapters permitting chains or links to be affixed to a cantilever supported element, such as a handgrip, providing a substitute handgrip portion while utilizing the suspended support.

It is common in the playground apparatus to use cantilevertype handgrips with the playground devices permitting the children to maintain their seat and balance upon the apparatus. For instance, three dimensional figures representing chickens, dogs, duck, horses, etc., are often used on playgrounds, and these figures include a seat upon which the child sits. If the figure is to be suspended from an overhead support, and to be used as a swing, appropriate mounting devices are used for this purpose, and holes, bearings and other mechanical appurtenances are formed in the figure to permit the mechanical structure to be associated therewith for the suspended mounting.

If the figure is to be bottom supported, such as mounted upon a pedestal, or heavy compression spring, as is popular, the figure is then provided with a special base and mounting structure for the bottom mounted apparatus.

In that the mold for making such three dimensional figures is expensive, playground equipment manufacturers prefer to use the same figure mold for both suspended and bottom mounted playground devices. However, the difference in the mounting apparatus used with the various types of suspension and pedestal mountings requires considerable modification to the figure depending on its particular type of support, and it is often difficult to use the same figure mold for both suspended and bottom mountings.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is the purpose of the invention to provide an adapter which may be used with playground apparatus having cantilever handgrips whereby the adapter readily permits the apparatus to be either bottom supported or suspended from an overhead location. The use of the adapter permits molded figures to be readily suspended without requiring substantial modification thereto, and without causing objectionable mechanical appurtenances to be located upon the playground apparatus.

Molded animal figures as used in playground apparatus usually all include cantilever handgrips extending from each side of the figure, usually extending from the head. Also, it is common practice to form a footrest upon the figure. The molded figures also include a base portion to which a fixed pedestal or spring pedestal can be mounted. In the practice of the invention, if the molded figure is to be suspended from an overhead location, an adapter is slipped over the handgrip, wherein the handgrip forms the means of attachment of the adapter to the playground apparatus and thereby permits the apparatus to be suspended, without requiring extensive mechanical modification. The adapter configuration includes a handgrip portion itself, whereby placing of the adapter upon the playground handgrip still provides a handgrip portion, and thereby permits the suspended playground apparatus to be mounted and used in a manner similar to that if the playground apparatus were supported from underneath. The adapter includes a pivot device wherein swinging of the playground apparatus is augmented.

Structurally, the adapter consists of a tubular body member having an openbore at one end. the bore being closed at the other end. A radially extending boss is defined upon the adapter tube and a setscrew hole is threaded therein which intersects the tube bore and functions as means for retaining the tube upon the associated handgrip. A bearing sleeve is also located in the boss and rotatably supports a pivot pin and clevis arrangement to which a chain or cable may be attached for suspending the playground device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The aforementioned objects will be apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an adapter in accord with the invention, typical playground apparatus with which the invention is used being shown in dotted lines,

FIG. 2 is a diametrical, elevational view of an adapter in accord with the invention, the playground apparatus being shown in dotted lines, 1

FIG. 3 is an elevational, sectional view taken along Section III-III of FIG. 2, and

FIG. 4 is an end elevational view of the adapter in accord with the invention as taken along Section IV-lV of F lG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In FIG. I a typical use of the invention is illustrated. The playground apparatus with which the adapter of the invention finds use usually takes the form of a three dimensional molded figure such as indicated at 10, and represented in dotted lines. In the illustrated embodiment the molded figure is that of a chicken, and includes a seat portion 12 and a footrest 14. The portion 16 represents a base section to which a pedestal mount, such as a compression spring, may be affixed if the figure were to be mounted in this manner.

In order to permit a child sitting upon the portion 12 to support itself upon the figure, hand grips 18 extend from the opposite side of the animals head. The handgrips 18 extend in cantilever fashion from the figures head and normally consist of a cylindrical rod of sufficient diameter as to be easily grasped by children. I

When it is desired to suspend the figure 10 from an overhead support, such as when the figure is to be used as a swing, a clevis and chain arrangement 20 is associated with the tail portion of the figure as shown in FIG. I. A pair of adapters 22 are used to support the front portion of the figure when used as a swing and the configuration of the adapters in accord with the invention will be readily appreciated from FIGS. 2 through 4.

The adapters are identical and include a body member 24 which is preferably of a cylindrical tubular configuration having an elongated bore 26 defined by an open end 28, and a closed end 30. The configuration of the body 24 is cylindrical and the portion 32 is of sufficient length in diameter as to constitute the handgrip portion itself, once the adapter has been fitted over the handgrip 18 of the playground figure.

The radially extending boss 34 of a configuration as will be best apparent from FIGS. 3 and 4 is integrally defined on the body member 24 adjacent the open end 28. The boss forms a thickened wall portion 36 through which threaded holes 38 are defined in a manner radially disposed to the bore 26. Threaded setscrews 40 are received within the holes 38 and in this manner tightening of the setscrews 40 will lock the body member upon a handgrip 18.

A bearing sleeve 42 is disposed in the boss 34 within the hole 44 having an axis substantially parallel to the bore 26. A pivot pin 46 of a clevis 48 is received within the bearing sleeve 42 and in this manner the clevis is pivotally mounted upon the adapter 22. A chain 50, FIG. 1, is attached to the clevis 48 and it will be understood that a pair of adapters 22 and chains 50 will be used to support the front end of the figure.

Upon the adapters 22 being mounted upon the handgrips 18 of the figure a positive and safe connection of the chains 50 to the figure I0 is accomplished, and it will be appreciated that by using the adapters 22 no modifications to the figure 10 are required at the front end of the figure, and only the hole need be drilled in the figure at the rear end thereof to permit use of the rear pin and clevis arrangement 20. Thus. the use of the adapter of the invention permits molded animal figures to be readily used in a pedestal mounted application, or a swing application with a minimum of modification and expense.

It is appreciated that various changes to the disclosed embodiment may be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.

1 claim:

1. A playground swing support adapter to be used with playground equipment having an elongated cantilever handgrip comprising, in combination, a tubular body member of sufficient length to be grasped by the hand and having first and second ends and including a bore intersecting said first end adapted to receive a playground equipment handgrip, handgrip-retaining means defined on said body disposed within said bore, and swing support means defined on said body member adjacent said first end comprising pivot means having an axis substantially parallel to said body member.

2. An adapter as in claim 1 wherein said handgrip-retaining means includes a setscrew threaded into a threaded hole defined in said body member and intersecting said bore, said setscrew and threaded hole being located adjacent said first end.

3. An adapter as in claim 2 wherein said body member is of a generally exterior cylindrical configuration and said second end is closed.

4. A playground swing support adapter to be used with playground equipment having an elongated cantilever handgrip comprising, in combination, a tubular body member of sufficient length to be grasped by the hand and having first and second ends and including a bore intersecting said first end adapted to receive a playground equipment handgrip, handgrip-retaining means defined on said body disposed within said bore, and swing support means defined on said body member adjacent said first end including a bearing sleeve mounted in said body member substantially parallel to said bore thereof, a pivot rotatably received within said sleeve, and a swing support mounted upon said pivot.

5. A playground swing support adapter to be used with playground equipment having an elongated cantilever handgrip comprising, in combination, a tubular body member of sufficient length to be grasped by the hand comprising a tube having a first open end, a closed second end and a substantially cylindrical configuration, and including a bore intersecting said first open end adapted to receive a playground equipment handgrip, a radially extending boss defined on said tube adjacent said first open end, a threaded hole defined in said boss intersecting said bore, a setscrew threaded into said threaded bore, and swing support means defined on said body member adjacent said first end including a pivot rotatably journaled in said boss for oscillation about an axis substantially parallel to the length of said tube, and a swing support attachment means mounted on said pivot. 

